Chief of Azerbaijan`s State Maritime Administration attends IMO`s 91st meeting
Baku, December 6 (AZERTAC). Chief of Azerbaijan`s State Maritime Administration Gudrat Gurbanov participated at the 91st session of International Maritime Organization`s Maritime Safety Committee in London from November 26-30.
The busy agenda included discussions on passenger ship safety; the adoption of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS); and consideration of matters related to piracy and armed robbery against ships and other items submitted by the IMO Sub-Committees.
The Committee agreed a revised circular on recommended operational measures, prior to the adoption of any mandatory measures following the analysis of the official marine accident investigation report into the loss of the Costa Concordia.
The recommended voluntary measures agreed at the session including carrying additional lifejackets, to be readily accessible in public spaces, at the muster/assembly stations, on deck or in lifeboats, so that in the event of an emergency passengers need not return to their cabins to retrieve the lifejacket stored there; reviewing the adequacy of the dissemination and communication of the emergency instructions on board ships; carrying out the muster for embarking passengers prior to departure from every port of embarkation, if the duration is 24 hours or more; limiting access to the bridge to those with operational or operationally related functions, during any period of restricted maneuvering, or while maneuvering in conditions that the master or company bridge procedures/policy deems to require increased vigilance (e.g. arrival/departure from port, heavy traffic, poor visibility); and ensuring that the ship`s voyage plan has taken into account IMO`s Guidelines for voyage planning, and, if appropriate, Guidelines on voyage planning for passenger ships operating in remote areas.
In his opening address IMO`s Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu pushed for publication of Costa Concordia accident report.
"As the loss of the Costa Concordia amply demonstrated, those affected are quick to call for action. The international nature of the passengers and crew - with some 70 nationalities involved in the Costa Concordia incident - highlighted the need for an international response, through IMO, to take the appropriate and necessary action in evaluating, developing, and implementing any provisions that might be recommended and needed, following consideration of the outcome of the casualty investigation and any other relevant information.
He also spoke about IMO`s commitment to sustainable maritime development at the Exponaval conference in Valparaiso, drawing on the outcomes of both the UN Climate Change Conference in Rio de Janeiro and the 2012 World Fair in Yeosu, Republic of Korea, to establish a blueprint for future developments in this regard.
The Committee supported the establishment of a clear timetable for consideration of the need for improvements or modifications to the current international regulations, based on the outcome of the casualty investigation of the Costa Concordia accident.
Other news in this section
